High-profile exposure keeps 'Gangnam Style' alive

SEOUL--U.S. President Obama, the mayor of London, China's top dissident artist and Madonna — every time someone signals the death of "Gangnam Style" up pops another high-profile figure to keep the phenomenon alive.

In the four months since the music video by South Korean rapper Psy went viral on YouTube, it has been name-checked and imitated by an impressive roster of global notables from world leaders to sports stars and business tycoons.

And the public has joined in with tens of thousands turning out for giant flashmob performances of Psy's horse-riding dance in cities like Paris and Rome.

While many believe Gangnam Style will ultimately prove to be a one-hit wonder, the song has shown surprising staying power and an unlikely ability to penetrate international corridors of power.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called it a force for world peace. On the morning of the U.S. presidential election, Barack Obama told a local radio station that he was confident he could match Psy's dance moves.

"But I'm not sure that the inauguration ball is the appropriate time to break that out. Maybe do it privately for Michelle," he said.

British Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson performed a joint "Gangnam Style" dance spectacular for their wives in September during a private gathering in the premier's country retreat Chequers.

Johnson went on to reference the event in his keynote speech to the ruling conservative party's annual conference.

If politicians have appropriated the song in an effort to boost their populist credentials, others have used it to drive home an anti-establishment message — most notably renowned Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei.

Banned from traveling abroad, Ai posted a "Gangnam Style" dance parody on YouTube, during which he brandished a set of handcuffs in a clear reference to Beijing's efforts to silence his outspoken views.

The video was removed by China's Internet censors, prompting the Indian-born British sculptor Anish Kapoor to gather 250 art world luminaries at his London studio this week to film their own Gangnam video in support of Ai.

If anything, Psy has since gone from strength to strength — gaining the ultimate showbiz accolade this week by performing a mash-up of "Gangnam Style" with pop icon Madonna during her concert at New York's Madison Square Garden.